HYDERABAD: Hyderabad is a landlocked city, but imagine a beach volley match over the weekend! The impossible became possible at SportExpo India, Hitex — Madhapur, where three days of sports, fitness, nutrition and wellness were exactly what Hyderabadis needed, and got.
Inaugurated by actor Sushant Anumolu, known for his work in films like Kalidas, and Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, among others, the expo had 50 stalls and quite a large activity area spread over 7000sft. Featuring several major sporting brands, the event covered the 360-degree gamut of sports such as accessories, activities, equipment, spa and more.
The fifth edition of the biggest ever sports exhibition in the city was organised in support of GiggleMug Events; Hyderabad Runners, Vikendi, Flex Pilates, GravityZip, Nourish You, and Sproutz.
Beach volleyball, Chase TAG championship, and Bullseye arrow attack were some of the biggest attractions at the event. “Who says you have to live in a beach city to enjoy the privileges of beach volleyball? People can walk into the sports arena here for a similar experience. To create such a scene, we transported several bags of sand for that perfect beach volleyball court for enthusiasts,” said Swathi Vasireddy, founder of the startup GiggleMug.
GravityZip too succeeded in promoting an indoor skydiving experience. People discovered that they can experience the thrill of flying high, right here in Hyderabad, without having to worry about the weather, an accident, huge equipment, travel charges, etc.
The biggest attraction, however, was the presence of Padma Shri Swami Sivananda, a 125-year-old yoga guru, better known as the oldest and one of the happiest men in the country. He told City Express that he will soon be writing to the Guinness World Records to verify his claim as the oldest living person in the world.
“It currently lists Japan’s Jiroemon Kimura, who was aged 116 years and is no more. I am the oldest man to have ever lived and I am proud that an Indian gets to hold this honour,” he said.
He showed a few asanas like Paschimottanasana, Sarvangasana, and Pavanamuktasana that would help with prolonging one’s youth Asked the secret to his longevity, he said, “No money, no desire, no sugar, milk, salt, oil, no day sleeping, and gurukripa lead to a diseaseless life. I practice an ancient way of living- I eat, sleep and rise early. I rarely eat breakfast, if I do, I eat boiled potatoes. For lunch and dinner, both in a very limited quantity, I eat two chapatis, boiled potato, puffed rice, barley and porridge.”
Telangana Body Building Association organised several competitions that saw winners like Arbaaz Khan and Santosh Kumar, among others, take home several trophies and cash prizes. The expo, which kicked off on Friday, concluded on Sunday on a grand scale, inspiring many to opt for a fitter, active lifestyle.